I'm trying to build racks to store my handguns on narrow shelves in my gun cabinet. Been racking my brain all morning but every design I've come up with had a fault or two.
Any suggestions / photos would be appreciated!

__________________
"I don't mind it when stupid people say stupid things. Stupid people should be encouraged to say stupid things, that way we always know who the stupid people are." ~ Ted Nugenthttp://www.awbansunset.com/awcountdown_sm.gif

For narrow shelves, I've seen a design where the gun sits butt forward and down and leans in a slot with the barrel sticking straight up. It only takes a couple of inches wide and 5-6" deep for each gun. It should be pretty easy to build such a rack...

__________________
"I don't mind it when stupid people say stupid things. Stupid people should be encouraged to say stupid things, that way we always know who the stupid people are." ~ Ted Nugenthttp://www.awbansunset.com/awcountdown_sm.gif

I am collaborating with a friend of mine who can actually BUILD things about this same project. When I get anything to share, I'll let y'all know. Rg, I feel your pain.

__________________
"First, the freedom to own and carry the weapon of your choice is a natural, fundamental, and inalienable human, individual, civil, and Constitutional right -- subject neither to the democratic process nor to arguments grounded in social utility" -- L. Neil Smith

' I have an [in]alienable right to bear arms. I will exercise my own judgement in their use and accept responsibilty for the consequences' - Oakleaf

Rangegod
It makes me cringe to see all those pistolas jammmed together like that! Reminds me of a local shop, where everytime you ask to see one of them you can see where they have "jammed" them in the allotted space like they were packing a suitcase. I bet 90% of the scratches occur from their handling.

Just to elaborate on Blunder's suggestion - I think the racks you want are called "Lid Racks" or something like that - they are made for holding pot lids. I had to check a few stores to find them (look for someplace with a bunch of different types of racks made of heavy wire coated with white plastic). Anyway, I've been using a couple of these in my safe for quite awhile and they work well.

Think I got it. The dishwasher rack things were too big, came up with this for now (until I get a bigger safe, comon' Santa!)
Covered the inside of the door with carpet, put shrink tubing over the peg hooks.

__________________
"I don't mind it when stupid people say stupid things. Stupid people should be encouraged to say stupid things, that way we always know who the stupid people are." ~ Ted Nugenthttp://www.awbansunset.com/awcountdown_sm.gif

I bought some racks from Clark Guns & Personal Safety in Shreveport, LA (tel. 318-742-7230) when I bought my safe there. The plastic ones hold 4 handguns each, and there's a longer wooden one that holds 8 handguns. However, as my safe began to get too full for comfort, I bought (also from Clark's) a Velcro-fastening system which allows me to put up to 15 handguns suspended on the inside of the safe door. It's made by "Acorn" (whoever they may be), and comes in different widths to handle different sizes of safe. It's by far the easiest and quickest way to store handguns that I've found. Each "door hanging mat" (to make up a label for it!) comes with 5 holsters, which fit almost any handgun, and one can buy more in packs of 5. Worth investigating.

I saw an interesting rack at the last gunshow. It was basically two boards put together at right angles, one to sit flat on the shelf, and the other ran along the back of the shelf. Inserted in the back board, parallel to the base, were a number of brass mandrels. One simply slipped a handgun barrel over the mandrel. It held the gun upright, with the grip presented. Looked like something that would be easy to make at home. You'd just have to make sure you used brass or some other soft metal (maybe plastic?) for the mandrels to keep from boogering up your crown and barrels.

I made a raised shelf to hold my takedown shotgus. I built a rack across the top, using simple drywall screws covered with rubber fuel hose. There is a raised bridge for the barrels to rest on. With storage behind the muzzles.

The small rack on the next shelf down rotates. Storing a row of handguns upside down and a row on the otherside right side up, with the barrels ovelapping. These to example were built with scrap materials for almost nothing.

Excuse the poor quality of the pic, my digital camera is of indifferent quality and of dubious parentage.

SK .. might want to consider putting some electrical (or similar) tape on those hooks ... so they don't start to wear on the trigger guard / gun every time you open the safe door (especially on the blued ones).

I used shrink tubing on the hooks but am now rethinking the whole thing.
The Preacherman gave me an idea I'm going to check into, how about one of those shoe holders made to hang on a closet door, the kind with indivudual pockets for each pair of shoes?

__________________
"I don't mind it when stupid people say stupid things. Stupid people should be encouraged to say stupid things, that way we always know who the stupid people are." ~ Ted Nugenthttp://www.awbansunset.com/awcountdown_sm.gif

I solved this problem by going to an office supply store and purchasing some plastic letter holders, you know the ones that have about eight vertical fins on a plastic base. Works well and protects the firearms from rubbing against anything. Cost was about $8.00 each.

I do like the idea of a shoe organizer on the door. Seems simple if you can get one durable enough to hold all that weight. I just wish I had that problem. With 2 semi's and 1 revo, storage isn't a problem.

I used the handgun racks by http://www.versatilegunrack.com. I could store 2 maybe 2.5 guns in the area taken up by one 4-gun rack, so it does give you a bit more storage capability in your safe. They also keep the guns separated. You will have to store the junk that comes in the gun box elsewhere, but that doesn't have to be in the safe anyway.

I put ammo and loose stuff in back of the safe, with the racks in front and it works pretty good. Also the racks sit the guns high enough that you can slip a mag or two under the gun ready to go.

They are kind of pricey. I got mine locally about 5-7 bucks off the full retail noted on the site.

They are basically wire covered with vinyl. Look good and keep the guns separated

Try this link. Take a look at the 3-d rendition available at the bottom of the page. You can see everything really well in 3-d.

Jim - Thats pretty cool. Using the letter holders from Office Depot described above does the same thing for half the price, however I think yours are much better constructed. If I had seen yours, I would have purchased them.

Legionairre has a good idea. I've seen something similar but it used (and I would reccomend) wooden dowels down the barrels. To do it right, make sure the rod will go all the way to the breechface, so that you have an extra bit of safety against accidently sticking a loaded gun in there (if you don't want a loaded gun in there).

This email link is to reach site administrators for assistance, if you cannot access TFL via other means. If you are a TFL member and can access TFL, please do not use this link; instead, use the forums (like Questions, Suggestions, and Tech Support) or PM an appropriate mod or admin.

If you are experiencing difficulties posting in the Buy/Sell/Trade subforums of TFL, please read the "sticky" announcement threads at the top of the applicable subforum. If you still feel you are qualified to post in those subforums, please contact "Shane Tuttle" (the mod for that portion of TFL) via Private Message for assistance.

This email contact address is not an "Ask the Firearms Expert" service. Such emails will be ignored. If you have a firearm related question, please register and post it on the forums.